News Briefs

4/18/2013, Iyar 8, 5773

Orbach: Dedicate This Shabbat to Seniors

Uri Orbach, the Minister for Senior Citizen Affairs, called on communities and synagogues, Thursday, to dedicate this Shabbat to senior citizens. In a letter distributed by the ministry, it was written that the Shabbat would be called the "Show Deference" Shabbat, based on the line (Leviticus 19:32) from this week's Torah portion, which reads, in part, "Rise before the aged and show deference to the old...." He wrote that it would be appropriate for seniors to be called to the Torah and for rabbis to dedicate their Shabbat messages to them.

Orbach also called on youth groups to dedicate their activities to seniors. Adding a line from a children's book he wrote, years ago, he wrote, "When you too are old, in 80 years, even when you're subject to the help of your little granddaughter, even when you cannot see without glasses, even when you start to forget where you placed your teeth, even when you completely forget places, events and people who were in class with you, you will always remember immediately what [youth group] tribe you're in!"